The 55th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), chaired by the UN, with participation of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), was held in Gali on 25 April 2018.

The meeting was conducted in a constructive atmosphere. All participants concurred that, since the last IPRM meeting on 21 March, the security situation on the ground had remained relatively stable. The EUMM expressed concerns about the number of detentions at the Administrative Boundary Line - with 5 new cases recorded since the last meeting in Gali. An efficient exchange of information took place regarding these recent detentions and some criminal cases.

The case of the murder of Mr. Otkhozoria in May 2016 was once again on the agenda. The EUMM reminded participants that justice had not been served, underlining that impunity in such grave crimes, remains unacceptable.

There was recognition of the essential role of the EUMM managed Hotline in ensuring the exchange of information between participants, and thereby maintaining stability. The Mission encouraged participants to use the Hotline to maximum extent, including providing advance notice on planned activities by security and military actors. The EUMM underlined the importance of restraint, transparency and predictability in the security field. In this context, the Mission expressed its concerns about a military exercise carried out by two helicopters in close vicinity of the Administrative Boundary Line on 6 April - emphasizing that such activities negatively affect threat perceptions and stability.